The government's school feeding initiative is set for a major expansion in 2027, with plans to increase coverage from 3.1 million to around 11 million students at government primary schools across the country.
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj announced the plan on Thursday at an orientation program for headteachers and an exchange meeting on improving primary education quality at Bahubal Upazila Parishad in Habiganj.
He said improving primary education requires more than developing infrastructure and ensuring student attendance, stressing the importance of assessing children's learning outcomes, foundational skills and nutritional needs.
“The government is working to improve primary education by giving equal importance to learning outcomes, nutrition, teacher development, effective monitoring and accountability. There are questions about whether students are receiving the expected education. However, teachers cannot be held solely responsible for this. We must identify where the gaps exist and address them collectively,” he said.
Highlighting student dropout rates at the primary level, Bobby Hajjaj said the number increases further as students progress to secondary education.
“The school feeding program will play an important role in ensuring that no child remains outside the education system. Alongside ensuring nutrition, the program also aims to retain students in schools and keep them regularly engaged in learning activities,” he said.
He said initiatives had been taken, with support from the World Food Program (WFP), to ensure food quality in line with internationally recognized nutritional standards based on students' ages.
The government is also considering developing storage facilities at schools to preserve food. The state minister instructed officials to send food samples to laboratories for testing if complaints arise about their quality, emphasizing that decisions should be based on test results rather than rumors or incomplete information.
Bobby Hajjaj also discussed plans to involve mothers in implementing the program, drawing on the WFP's experience.
“We are considering training mothers and involving them in food preparation and distribution. Trained mothers can participate in boiling and storing eggs and supplying them to schools while maintaining hygiene standards. This will ensure food safety as well as increase parental participation,” he said.
Informing that the Primary Education Development Program (PEDP-5) had been approved, he said it would allow the government to undertake new infrastructure initiatives and other necessary improvements in primary education.
He stressed the need for supervision and quality control throughout construction work, urging relevant officials to prevent the deterioration of new infrastructure caused by substandard materials and irregularities.
Emphasizing community participation in school development, the state minister urged headteachers to maintain regular communication with local elected representatives, mosque and temple committees, and parents.
He said developing a sense of ownership among local communities would help protect school infrastructure, ensure student attendance and improve the learning environment.
The meeting was chaired by Habiganj Deputy Commissioner Dr G M Sarfaraz. Special guests included local Member of Parliament Dr Reza Kibria, WFP Bangladesh Head of Program Jesse Wood, a director of the Directorate of Primary Education and the Bahubal Upazila Nirbahi Officer.
Headteachers of government primary schools in the upazila and relevant officials also attended the meeting.
Later, the state minister visited Bishnupur Government Primary School and Daragaon Government Primary School in Bahubal Upazila. During the visits, he observed school feeding activities, food quality, storage and serving arrangements, and enquired about food distribution among students.